Fallen Prince
by princebelladonna
Summary: Harry Potter is...adopted by a strange group. No pairings currently, may be eventual HP/DM
1. Chapter 1

Hissing, the angels click their beaks, creating a sharp noise that fills the empty air. One of them uses its many arms to drag itself across the cracked floor, while another is carried on the back of a large, many-eyed bird with no legs. They are many, but they are divided. In the center of the room lies a small boy, no more than a year old, along with an envelope of unfamiliar words. He had long since stopped crying, for no one would come. He had exhausted himself. An angel with abnormally large hands, yet no fingers, approached the child cautiously. No angel dares to disturb something that makes such a deathly wail.

Upon the boy's forehead is a curious mark that smells of rot. The angel holding him approves of this; it is a homely, comforting smell. More angels gather around as the boy is inspected, and he is gently passed between them. The raucous clicks, hisses, and growls of the angels rouses the boy from his sleep, and he cries once more. The angels panic, and the blind one that held him quickly places him on the ground. They watch, intrigued, as the small boy crawls towards their pile of raw meat, some of it several days old. He tries to eat some of it, but he could not swallow it. The chunks were too big.

An angel that had eaten from it recently got an idea and picked the boy up. His eyes shine with curiosity as the angel opens all three of its mouths and regurgitates its last meal onto him. He easily swallows the amount that gets into his mouth, and cries for more, licking his clothes. The boy is drenched in half digested meat. Getting the idea, more angels line up to feed the boy until he refuses to open his mouth. This is taken as a sign that the boy is full. The angels eat once more, satisfied with their discovery of how to feed the child. An angel whose saliva dripped from its mouth like a waterfall licks the child clean, making him giggle with delight. His pitch black hair was an interesting contrast to the light pastels of the angels. They were coated in everything from bare skin to feathers and scales.

Joyous green eyes stared back up at them, again a surprising yet strong contrast. The angels who had eyes only had deep black, from the cornea to the pupil. Becoming accustomed to their new pet, the angels murmured of responsibilities. They decided to teach the pitifully defenseless child how to care for himself. Since he was still rather young, and they had never seen something like him before, they set about assigning teachers for everything, from weaving to flying. They designate a tall, spindly angel with arms like tree branches to be the child's primary caregiver. The proud new parent bottled a vocal message, explaining that the child was safe, and sent it to wherever it was the boy arrived from.

* * *

By the time he is five, the boy, now called Valac, has memorized the titles of every being involved in his life, from Abezethibou to Zepar. Obyzouth, his mother figure, teaches him well in the ways of caring for himself and setting limits. In a few years time she will be instructing him on which herbs to use to cast fertility and sterility spells. Imamiah teaches him about braving the seas, while Lerajie assists him with hand-eye coordination. Penemuel, skilled in the writings of manfolk, deciphered the letter that accompanied Valac, and while he cared little for his given name, Penemuel noted that upon his eleventh year of existence, the child must leave them to learn in ways that could not be provided in their care.

Magic was common amongst the angels, but much of it was beyond the abilities of their little human. What can be taught will be, but they wanted Valac to be as powerful as possible. Baraqijal sighs peacefully as Valac chatters on, pointing out the constellations. Valac doesn't know their simple meanings yet, but one day he would be their prince. Their emissary.

* * *

On the eve of his eleventh birthday, Valac voraciously eats decomposed flesh as all of Dantanian's faces count off the possible outcomes. It had been agreed that, should it be required, Obyzouth and Ruax would represent them. As the ticking hand of an old cuckoo clock strikes the twelve, all becomes silent. A letter pops into existence. Valac rushes up to it and reads it, having been taught many mantongues by Penemuel. As expected, the letter stated that he would be going to a school of witchcraft, and Raum cawed his approval. Raum, appearing as a crow, would be accompanying Valac to school, and be the messenger between school and home.

"Come, little one," Obyzouth calls out. "There is much to do." He cleans himself up and follows her into the portal to the other world. His world. It is dark as the deepest abyss outside, but he could see easily. He had come to the human realm multiple times, and every time it was inky black. He rarely saw another human, and no humans have ever seen him. The two slip undetected into every shop, and take what is listed and then some. Valac knows this is frowned upon, but what his classmates don't know won't hurt them. They pack everything into a trunk they had acquired, and go back home. Valac has much studying to do to make his family proud.

* * *

After waving goodbye to his 'parents', Valac, who already has his robes on, boards the train and follows his guardian's wishes; Ruax told him to make friends, so he will. Since Valac does not yet know how to conjure beings to follow his will, he does the nest best thing and introduces himself to a trio of boys who look to be around his age.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Valac asks, smiling. The boys appear surprised that someone would attempt to sit with them. One of the two large ones starts to speak, but the small one, appearing to be in charge, interrupts him.

"We would be delighted to have you," He says quickly, moving his hand through his platinum blond hair. Valac unconsciously copies him as he accepts the answer, and he hears the boys gasp.

"You're Harry Potter," The burly boy who had yet to speak said.

"I'm sorry, that may be true but I do not go by that name anymore. You can call me Valac, but I hadn't thought of a last name so you may continue calling me Potter." The pale haired boy shakes his head, confused, and reaches out to shake Valac's hand. Valac grips it tightly, as he had been taught by Forneus.

"Well, Valac, my name is Draco Malfoy, and my... friends here are Crabbe and Goyle." Draco was a very confident boy, it seemed. He would make any hellspawn green with envy. Going by the appearance of his robes, he was also very well off. Just as Valac starts to drum up a conversation, a girl with bushy hair knocks on the compartment door.

"Have you seen a toad? Neville's lost one," She says curtly. Neville is a chubby boy who looks nervously around at those in the compartment. Draco got an awfully smug look on his face, but Valac cut him off.

"I haven't seen any, but I could send Raum to look, if you like, Neville." Valac was beaming his best smile, surprising everyone as he gestured to a large crow inside a silver cage. "I promise he won't eat him."

Neville happily accepts his offer, and goes, with the girl and Raum, to continue looking. Draco eventually breaks the silence. "Why were you so nice to them? They don't even deserve to be here."

Valac glares back sharply. "Everyone deserves respect, and you won't get anywhere in life by belittling people. Offer help when you can and always be polite." Draco hesitates, then nods. Satisfied, Valac asks him about his life like nothing happened, and Draco obliges. The next time someone knocks on the door, Draco opens it for them to discover that it is Neville once more, carrying Raum and a large toad. The girl from earlier is nowhere in sight. Draco greets him, and Neville is shocked. He quickly smiles and responds to Draco, happy to be treated well. Raum is dropped off and as Neville leaves, Valac looks at Draco with pride in his eyes.

"You did well."

"Thank you." They leave it at that. The sweets trolley comes by, and Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle all buy more than their fair share. Upon realizing that Valac had not brought money, Draco shared a small amount of his candy with him, his cronies following suit. Much small talk was made, mostly about houses (which earned Draco another lecture on his manners) and quidditch.

* * *

Upon arrival, Valac is slightly surprised but hardly impressed with the castle. It was on par with the residences of his family. The boat ride is pleasant, and led to him recalling his lessons from Imamiah. The squid that lurks within the depths seems friendly enough, but what he really wants to do is explore the forest. The first years are lead inside the school, where they await the sorting. Suddenly, a group of supernatural beings float into the room, bickering. Upon noticing the students, a plump man grins and rushes to greet them. He introduces himself as the Fat Friar, and wishes luck to all future Hufflepuffs. The other ghosts wish luck to their respective houses. A stern woman enters and leads them into a large room that currently contains the rest of the school.

Valac had never been in a room with so many humans before, so he wasn't sure how to act. Nervously, he held his head high and avoided looking weak. Draco gave an approving nod. As the sorting went along, many students were sent to various cheering tables. When Draco approaches, he visibly shakes, but doesn't falter. As soon as the hat is on his head, it shouts out 'Slytherin!' to his great relief. Shortly afterwards, Valac is called.

"Potter, Valac!" Calls the woman from before, Professor McGonagall, perplexed by the first name. Valac walks confidently up to the stool, and puts the hat on his head. A voice fills his mind, muttering of knowledge and potential, until he was finally sorted into Ravenclaw. There is polite, yet excited, clapping from the blue and bronze table. As he approaches, he notices that the majority of the table isn't stereotypical bookworms, as the sorting song had implied, but rather creative minds that used knowledge to solve problems and express themselves. A couple have sketchbooks out, working on portraits of the new students. Others were recording the happenings of the sorting, likely to sell to a news publisher or a school paper.

Draco looks across the hall, disappointed, but accepts it for what it is. Headmaster Dumbledore gives various warnings, most intriguing being to not go into the third floor corridor for fear of death. When the feast appears, Valac is not surprised that there is no familiar food, but he's still agitated. He resigns himself to veal cooked rare, and eats ravenously, yet politely. He also takes a generous portion of black pudding. When dessert comes around, he is shocked when he tastes something. It is not quite the same, but it reminds him of the sickly sweetness of rotten meat. One of his fellow students remarks that he must really like treacle.

When everyone is finished, the last of the food vanishes and the students rise. After singing the school song (which Valac enjoys greatly), the students go to their dorms. Valac doesn't take note of who he is rooming with, as he is very tired, and he sleeps soundly.


	2. Chapter 2

Awaking, Valac takes note that he is the first one to rise. All of his unknown dorm mates are still in bed, sound asleep. Valac gets dressed in his robes, and it takes until he is in the common room to realize something is wrong. As he looks out the window, admiring the beautiful night sky, it hits him; judging by the position of the moon, it is obscenely early by normal people's standards.

Frustrated, he goes back to his dorm and grabs his schoolbooks. One more review wouldn't hurt. After returning to the common room, he plops down into a cushy chair by the fire, appreciating the familiar warmth. As he scans through his books once more, he realizes that a leatherbound notebook found it's way into his trunk. It smells familiar to him, like home. He does like that, but he is wary. Nothing should feel so…dark.

It appears to be a diary of one T.M. Riddle. Valac is curious, but he does not investigate further. Instead, he slips the diary into his robe pocket and sets out to the owlery. He is nearly caught several times by a rather snobby little cat, but he makes it to his destination in one piece. Waking Raum up by ruffling his glossy feathers, Valac explains what has happened. He sends Raum on his way home, to bring the diary in for inspection. He would like to use it later, but he wants to make sure that it is safe first. Obyzouth would be heartbroken if something happened to him, the closest thing she would ever have to a child.

As he makes his way back to his room, he sees Draco skulking around. Valac approaches from behind, startling him.

"Bloody hell, what are you doing here?" Draco squeaked, suddenly aware of every sound that was made.

"I could ask you the same thing. Would you like me to walk you back to your dorm?" Ever the little gentleman, Valac offered his hand to Draco. "It would probably be better than us wandering around by ourselves." Truth be old, it took Valac a good hour just to get to the owlery. His sense of direction isn't the best, mostly because he's used to being in the same place his entire life. Draco hesitantly shook his hand and made him swear to tell no one of what happened tonight. Valac didn't get why it was a big deal that Draco was exploring the castle as well, but he figures that his 'parents' won't be monitoring his every step and mistake.

Woe is the life of the aristocratic. Along with feeling like he gets to know Draco a little better, Valac also learns the location of the Slytherin common room. He plugs his ears when Draco says the password, as it would be rude to listen in. As Draco gets ready for bed, he remembers that Valac is a Ravenclaw. He fails miserably to wipe the blush off his face when he realizes that since Valac sleeps in one of the towers, that means he went far out of his way to walk Draco back. Draco makes a mental note to thank him at some point the next day. Or, rather, later in this day.

Outside, Valac thinks nothing of his actions and makes the long trek back up to the Ravenclaw tower. It is currently around four in the morning, and several jittery students look up as he enters. He sadly notes that all the chairs near the fire are taken up by anxious classmates, and resigns himself to going back to bed. He fails to actually get back to sleep, but it's the thought that counts.

Valac rises once more when the first of his roommates rises, a short boy with strawberry blond hair and blue eyes. He was friendly enough, but a bit odd. He wears his school scarf even as he sleeps, it appears. Then again, you had to be a little bit weird to get into Ravenclaw. Valac follows the other boy down to breakfast, as he doesn't trust his internal compass. This boy seems to have a better sense of direction than him, as it takes him only two tries to find the way to the great hall. When they sit down, the boy shoots him a curious look for following behind so diligently.

"Uh, hi. I'm Kip. Do you need anything…?" Valac momentarily blanks out, but comes back to himself.

"Sorry, still tired. I'm Valac. Don't think I'm a creep or anything, I just have a shoddy sense of direction." Kip nodded understandingly. Other students are slowly filing in, and as the Slytherins entered in one large group, Draco seems off. He sees Valac talking to this other boy, and a bitterness rises up in him. He is disgusted with himself and shakes the feeling off, but that jealousy remains in the back of his mind. Blaise gives him a knowing look, but Draco ignores him. He fully focuses on his breakfast, quickly devouring an apple.

Valac knows nothing of this event. He chats with Kip, happy to have another new friend. Kip only picks at his food, and when Valac brings it up he sidesteps the question. Overall, Valac greatly likes his new friend, although he does discover that Kip is on the vain side when he catches him checking his hair in the reflection of his spoon.

After finishing a simple breakfast of eggs, Valac follows Kip to his first class of the day. It turns out to be charms, taught by none other than their head of house, professor Filius Flitwick. Professor Flitwick is an extremely tiny man, and when he calls Valac's name during roll call he topples right out of his seat in excitement. On that very first day, they talked lightly about what they would be learning over the course of the year and the basics of charm casting. Towards the end of the block, the professor handed out feathers and had all the students attempt the levitation charm.

The Ravenclaws are quick learners, but not that quick. About half of the students succeed by the end of the block. Valac finally gets it down after some tips from Kip, who completes the task rather quickly, although he was by no means the first. After charms is transfiguration with the Slytherins. Nobody really gets it on the first day, and a girl by the name of Pansy is the first to succeed in turning her matchstick into a needle. Draco regards Kip with contempt whenever Valac smiled at something he said or thanked him for an idea on how to complete the lesson. Once class is over, Draco drags Valac off to the side of the hallway, so they could talk in private.

"Who is he?" Draco demands, gesturing at the distant form of Kip.

"A friend. Am I not allowed to have any besides you?" Valac asks, amused. Now that Draco has brought it up, Valac finally realizes Draco's intense envy. Draco stutters up a storm, before telling him that he will be having lunch with the Slytherins. It is technically only required to sit with your house at dinner, but they still get weird looks as they approached the table of the snakes. Reflecting on it later, Valac realizes that people were probably weirded out because the 'Chosen One' was being dragged by the hand.

Several Slytherins greet the two when they sit down, and Blaise smirks. Out of their earshot, he begins placing a bet with Theodore Nott on how long it'll be til Draco comes out and says it. When your mother has married that many times, you grow up fast and notice warning signs quickly. Nott bets that it'll be at the very end of the school year, Blaise bets on Christmas, and Pansy, who was listening in, bets on Valentine's day as the romantic she is.

Valac again has very rare, nearly raw meat. This time it is beef, and it smells heavenly. Curious eyes watch as he also selects lots of things made with milk and eggs; those had been a luxury for him growing up. He becomes friendly with the Slytherins, making fast friends with Pansy, who is smarter than people think she is, and Blaise, who kept giving him weird looks. Valac suspects that he has also noticed Draco's jealousy of the boy who is now sitting alone.

Draco also leads him by hand to their shared potions class after lunch. Valac finds a seat, and Draco sits next to him as his partner. The professor of this class, a tall gaunt man named Snape, was glaring at Valac harshly, confused by Draco's actions. While he did hate the boy's father deeply, he was not willing to risk angering Lucius through his son, so he mostly laid off. He does call on Valac several times, but the questions he asks are not unfairly difficult. This class is twice as long as his last class, so Valac spends plenty of time getting accustomed to the room and studying his teacher's character.

More free time is after potions class, so Draco brings Valac to the library to start working on the essay they had been assigned in potions. They get their essays almost finished before they're kicked out for the day for talking too loudly. Dinner was as exquisite as it had been the first night, but Valac was once again at the Ravenclaw table, talking to Kip. Draco nearly bent his fork in anger. Kip was plenty fun to talk to, and he was actually from America. His parents moved to England shortly before he turned eleven, and as a result he is going to Hogwarts instead of a school in America. While Valac learns this through talking to him, Draco later learns it from Pansy as she is gossiping. Valac talks to Draco once more before he retires to his dorms to finish his homework.

Draco is still pouting, but it's not surprising. They talk quickly about how their days went, and Draco invites Valac to join him on Saturday to hang out around the lake. Draco often sees the giant squid through the window in his room, and he is enchanted by it. Valac is curious about the lake and quickly agrees. As he goes to bed, Kip startles him. He is sitting on Valac's bed.

"Hey, I'm sorry if I'm causing tension between you and your...friend. Are you sure you want to keep talking to me?" Valac is taken aback and quickly assures him that he won't pick sides. Scheming, Valac asks Kip to meet him at the lake on Saturday. Kip is relieved that he isn't being abandoned and quickly agrees. As Valac drifts off to sleep, he smiles at the thought of his two friends getting along.


End file.
